When I was researching for an article on the Battle of Hoke's Run, I came across this story that is on a marker at the Hoke's Run battlefield. It said--" Seating himself on a large, loose, round stone on the west side of the road,{Jackson} commenced to write. A shot from a Federal battery struck centrally, ten feet from the ground, a large white oak tree that stood in the fence corner close to Jackson and knocked a mass of bark, splinters and trash all over him and the paper on which he was writing. He brushed away the trash with the bck of his hand, finished the dispatch without a sign that he knew anything unusual was going on, folded it, handed it to the courier and dismissed him courteously: 'carry this to General Johnston with my compliments, and see that you lose no time on the way.' Jackson then said, “They have gotten our range. I suppose we had better retire.” Relieved, the troops near Jackson moved on.

Was this normal for Jackson to be this cool and calm when in the heat of battle?

The biggest part of the jackson legend to me is his faith in God, he believed his death was preordained and nothing he could do could change the outcome. Because of his faith in God he had no reason to fear death, one of the reasons he is one of my favorite generals.

csamillerp wrote: The biggest part of the jackson legend to me is his faith in God, he believed his death was preordained and nothing he could do could change the outcome. Because of his faith in God he had no reason to fear death, one of the reasons he is one of my favorite generals.

I recently read a biography on Jackson and have to agree with csamillerp. Jackson was a God-fearing man (as well as Lee) and throughout his military career had a weird quirk that helped define him as a calm general. He had the ability to stay calm and even fall asleep in the midst of a battle. The biography on him goes into detail about Jackson choosing the most inopportune moments to catch a nap but despite that he ended up being one of the best military minds in the war.

Bit off track here so please bare with me. I've gotta look it up, believe the book is My Brother's Keeper, but I seem to recall reading that Jackson was also a Freemason and that he had captured a Federal officer who was also a Freemason. It's an interesting little story about their battlefield visit and I forget at the moment, hence one of the reasons I have to look it up, if he let the man go because of their fratenral ties or if the man was wounded and Jackson waited with him until his (Jackson's) personal physcian could arrive and tend to his wounds.

Edit: Ok, found it. It was in My Brother's Keeper by Daniel Rolph, within the first couple pages of chapter 2. I was wrong about the POW deal, however. It was an account told by Capain Walter Newhall, Co. A, 3rd Pa Cavalry. Newhall had been thrown from his horse near Harrison's Landing and encountered Jackson around the time of Malvern Hills. He did use their connection as masons to keep from taken prisoner and the two did have a brief conversation.

There is something interesting though brought up here. How Jackson was seen by the Federal forces. Newhall says that Jackson's name alone was "as good as a small army" and that he put a lot of terror into the AoP. Quite believeable given his reputation. But I find it interesting that Newhall says Jackson's name alone was the equal of a small army.

I recently read a biography on Jackson and have to agree with csamillerp. Jackson was a God-fearing man (as well as Lee) and throughout his military career had a weird quirk that helped define him as a calm general. He had the ability to stay calm and even fall asleep in the midst of a battle. The biography on him goes into detail about Jackson choosing the most inopportune moments to catch a nap but despite that he ended up being one of the best military minds in the war.